Angkor Resources Corp. (TSXV: ANK, OTCQB: ANKOF) announced that its wholly owned Cambodian energy subsidiary, EnerCam Resources Co., Ltd., has received final approval from Cambodia's Ministry of Environment to drill exploratory wells on four sub-basins of the Block VIII onshore oil and gas concession in southwest Cambodia. The approval, granted after an inter-ministerial review on July 14, 2026, covers the Kirirom, Bokor North, Bokor Central, and Bokor South sub-basins, located across Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong, and Kampong Speu provinces.
The approval follows the submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment and a drilling permit application, which were reviewed by more than 26 representatives from five government ministries and three provinces. With this milestone, EnerCam now advances to the Ministry of Mines and Energy to file applications for specific drilling components, including downhole logging and well operations. Mike Weeks, President of EnerCam, stated, "With approval now in hand on all four sub-basins, we move to the Ministry of Mines and Energy on the individual components of the drilling program, and that includes the well logging and the downhole tools. The Ministry of Environment went through this in detail with us - how each site is drilled, how the water and drilling fluid are handled, and how the land is restored if a well is not productive. It has been a thorough process with the Ministries and with the communities where we will be working, and it sets a precedent for how onshore drilling gets done in Cambodia as the sector develops."
The company's 4+1 drill program envisions one exploration well in each of the four sub-basins, followed by a fifth well located based on the results of the first four. EnerCam has completed 350 line-kilometers of 2D seismic and defined drill targets across these sub-basins. The Block VIII concession covers approximately 4,095 square kilometers under a 30-year Production Sharing Contract with the Royal Government of Cambodia. A detailed outline of the block and sub-basins is available in Figure 1.
EnerCam is currently conducting due diligence on several potential drilling contractors ahead of a tender. The tender document, exceeding 70 pages, must be reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Mines and Energy before publication. Once a contractor is engaged, mobilizing drilling equipment to the sites takes approximately three months. The company aims to expedite the process where possible.
This development is significant for Cambodia, which imports 100% of its hydrocarbon-based energy products. A domestic oil and gas discovery would help offset the Kingdom's import expenditures and enhance energy security. EnerCam's program would be the first privately financed onshore drilling for oil and gas in Cambodia, setting a precedent for future onshore drilling in the country. As the project advances, Angkor Resources will provide regular updates on the drill program, contractor selection, and well-planning progress. The original release can be viewed at www.newmediawire.com.
